Roof covering removing tool

ABSTRACT

A manually manipulatable tool which lends itself to practical and reliable use when the user is called upon to dislodge and systematically free and expeditiously remove composite roof covering material and characterized by a handle having head means at the working end. A straight elongated handle is designed for stand-up use and can be grasped at longitudinally spaced points with both hands. The forward end is provided with a rigidly mounted blade which is firm but bendably resilient, is longitudinally bowed, has a leading rounded end fashioned into a cutting blade and has its rearward end joined to the forward end of the handle. The leading end is guidingly piloted and inserted and wedged between the roof covering material and underlying roof surface. It is forcibly shoved in a manner to cut and dislodge strips of suitable length and paves the way for lifting and removing the remaining block-like portions.

United States Patent 91 Saucier, Sr. et a].

[ Sept. 17, 1974 ROOF COVERING REMOVING TOOL [75] lnventors: Edwin C. Saucier, Sr.; Edwin C.

Saucier, Jr., both of Biloxi, Miss.

[73] Assignee: Jeannie A. Saucier, Biloxi, Miss.;

a part interest 22 Filed: Ju1y19, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 163,717

Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Attorney, Agent, or FirmClarence A. OBrien; Harvey B. Johnson [5 7 ABSTRACT A manually manipulatable tool which lends itself to practical and reliable use when the user is called upon to dislodge and systematically free and expeditiously remove composite roof covering material and characterized by a handle having head means at the working end. A straight elongated handle is designed for standup use and can be grasped at longitudinally spaced points with both hands. The forward end is provided with a rigidly mounted blade which is firm but bendably resilient, is longitudinally bowed, has a leading rounded end fashioned into a cutting blade and has its rearward end joined to the forward end of the handle. The leading end is guidingly piloted and inserted and wedged between the roof covering material and underlying roof surface. It is forcibly shoved in a manner to cut and dislodge strips of suitable length and paves the way for lifting and removing the remaining blocklike portions.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEBsmmu 3.836.119

Edwin C. Saw/er, .Sr. Edw/h 6. Saucier, Jr.

1x VENTORS WWW mm ROOF COVERING REMOVING TOOL This invention relates to manually usable tools which are implemented in a manner to perform a special task and pertains, more particularly, to an elongated rigid stand-up type handle whose forward end is equipped with improved means which enables the user to expeditiously free and remove pliant roofing material from a roof surface for such purposes as may be desired.

Persons conversant with the state of the art to which the invention relates are aware that claw hammers, makeshift wrecking bars and ever varying implements are used when one is called upon to sever and rip off a pliant type roof, for example a roof made up of sheets of felt impregnated with tar or the like and coated with gravel. Such roofs are sometimes referred to as laminated and composite and pliant. Roof removal requirements pose varying problems and, under the circumstances, there has long existed a need for a simple and practical tool which can be reliably appropriated and used for time and labor saving purposes.

A long handled special head-equipped implement is not new, and, as a matter of fact, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,694 issued to Carl Erickson, Jr. The reader may desire, for background information, to take into account the Erickson patent.

An object of the present invention is to structurally, functionally and in other ways improve upon prior art implements and tools and, in so doing, to advance the art by offering for use a tool which features component parts which, as experience has shown, will serve the purposes for which the tool has been perfected and satisfactorily used. 7

Briefly, the tool herein revealed lends itself to practical manually manipulatable use. It is expressly and therefore uniquely designed and particularly well adapted to enable the user thereof to dislodge and thereafter reliably remove roofing material. In this connection and as experience has shown a desirable adaptation comprises an elongated rigid lever or handle. This handle has a forward end provided with an elongated rigidly mounted prying and lifting blade. This blade has a leading sharpened end which is capable of being guidingly piloted and inserted and forcibly wedged between the roof covering material and the underlying rigid roof. Accordingly, by grasping the long handle in a standing position and shoving the blade between the roof and underneath surface of the roofing material, narrow strips can be cut and gouged out. By following the systematic procedural plan, the marginally stripped blocks can be laid out and subsequently removed in a manner to expose the underlying bare sheathing or lumber, whereby to pave the way for installation' of a new roof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a removing tool for roof covering material constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a view in side or edge elevation observing FIG. 2, for example, in a direction from right to left FIG. 4 is a view on a smaller scale showing a fragmentary portion of the roofing material, the underlying roof and showing the inserted position of the tool or implement in full lines and the second step in phantom lines which is customarily followed in prying up the roofing material and cutting a patch or strip (not detailed) for removal purposes.

Referring now to the views of the drawing, singly and collectively, it will be evident that the overall implement or tool is characterized by two primary component parts, that is, an elongated rigid straight lever 6 and a complemental tool head 8 on the working end of the lever. 4

The lever, also referred to as a handle, comprises a rigid length of tubing which is preferably but not necessarily, circular in cross section. The rearward or upper end of the handle is denoted at 10 and in actual practice is grasped by one hand of the user (not shown). The forward end portion is denoted at 12 and is customarily grasped by the other hand. In actual practice this handle may be and preferably is approximately 48 inches in length. The forward end portion 14 is reduced in cross-sectional dimension and is tapered as at 16 and is superimposed upon a surface portion 18 at a rearward or inner end portion 20 of the head, more particularly, the blade 8. This end portion 16 is welded or otherwise fastened in place as at 22. The blade, which is usually about 24 inches in length is longitudinally bowed and is made of bendably resilient spring steel. The lengthwise edges are straight and parallel as at 24. The top and bottom surfaces are planar and are denoted at 26 and 28 (FIG. 3 in particular). The leading or forward end portion of the blade is denoted at 30 and the extreme or terminal edge is beveled and menately rounded to provide a material penetrating and cutting edge 32. It will be noted that the overall blade is longitudinally bowed and is relatively narrow, being slightly greater in width than the cross-sectional dimension of the handle. In actual practice, this blade is approximately 2 /2 inches in width and it should be noted in this connection that the tapered end portion 16 of the handle is such that it merges into the so-called top surface 26 of the blade.

The first position of the implement or tool is shown in full lines in FIG. 4 during which the leading cutting end of the blade is inserted between the roofing material A and roof surface B. It is shoved forcibly into place and the tool or implement is then lifted to the phantom line position shown in FIG. 4 to cut a strip for such distance as may be desired. By plotting the surface and marginally cutting out strips the entire roofing material can be dislodged and effectually removed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A manually manipulatable tool designed and expressly adapted to enable a user thereof to dislodge and reliably remove pliant composite roof covering material, said tool comprising: an elongated rigid handle having a forward end provided with an elongated rigidly mounted prying blade, said handle being of a length that it can be grasped at longitudinally spaced points and used in a stand-up position in a manner similar to that followed when using a long-handled wrecking type pry bar, an elongated relatively narrow longitudinally bowed prying blade having forward and rearward ends, said handle having a tapered reduced forward end superimposed atop and fixed to a coasting rearward end of said blade and merging with a top surface of the blade to provide a satisfactory junctional connection between the coacting end portions of the handle and blade, respectively, said blade having a leading end which is arcuately rounded and is also formed with a bevelled roofing material penetrating surfaces. 

1. A manually manipulatable tool designed and expressly adapted to enable a user thereof to dislodge and reliably remove pliant composite roof covering material, said tool comprising: an elongated rigid handle having a forward end provided with an elongated rigidly mounted prying blade, said handle being of a length that it can be grasped at longitudinally spaced points and used in a stand-up position in a manner similar to that followed when using a long-handled wrecking type pry bar, an elongated relatively narrow longitudinally bowed prying blade having forward and rearward ends, said handle having a tapered reduced forward end superimposed atop and fixed to a coacting rearward end of said blade and merging with a top surface of the blade to provide a satisfactory junctional connection between the coacting end portions of the handle and blade, respectively, said blade having a leading end which is arcuately rounded and is also formed with a bevelled roofing material penetrating and strip cutting edge.
 2. The tool defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said blade is permanently bowed to assume a predetermined curvature and is narrow in width and is non-circular in transverse cross-section.
 3. The tool defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said blade is permanently bowed to assume a predetermined curvature and is narrow in width and is non-circular in transverse cross-section, said blade being made of given shape-retaining spring steel, having planar top and bottom lengthwise and crosswise surfaces. 